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Ohio Career Development Association: By-Laws
Article III – OCDA Officers
Article IV – Committees of the Association
Article V – Meetings of the Association
Article VI – Business of the Association
Article VII – Sanction and Removal from Office
Article VIII – Amendment of the By-Laws
Article IX – Representation at the NCDA Delegate Assembly
Section 1: Name
The name of the association shall be the Ohio Career Development Association (OCDA).
Section 2: Affiliation
The OCDA is a State Division of the National Career Development Association (NCDA) and an Affiliated State Division, with voting rights, of the Ohio Counseling Association (OCA) which is a state division of the American Counseling Association (ACA).
This association is organized and governed in accordance with the By-Laws of the NCDA and in conformation of OCA and ACA By-Laws.
Section 3: Mission
The mission of the OCDA is to promote the career development of all people over the lifespan and to establish, improve, and maintain the standards of professional career guidance, counseling, and career services within Ohio. The OCDA strives to present opportunities for professional development and professional networking within the career development community and strives to provide the building and maintenance of a diverse network of resources and support for its members.
Section 1: Categories of Membership
There will be six general categories of membership in OCDA: Professional, Regular, Life, Retired, Student/New Professional and Ex Officio. All except Ex Officio members may vote and hold an elective office in the Association.
Section 2: Qualities for Membership
The categories of membership shall be determined in accordance with the following:
A. Professional Members
Professional Members shall hold a master’s degree or higher in counseling or a closely related field from a college or university that was accredited when the degree was awarded by one of the regional accrediting bodies recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation. Professional members must present proof of academic credentials upon request.
B. Regular Members
Regular Members are those who have an interest in career development and have a desire to uphold the mission and principles of OCDA.
C. Life Members
Life Members shall be limited to individuals presently holding that title and as granted accordingly by the Board. They shall not be required to pay dues, but shall retain all of the privileges granted to them at the time they become Life Members.
D. Retired Members
Retired Members are those who have retired from the counseling profession and have been a member of OCDA for ten (10) years.
E. Student
Students enrolled in graduate or doctoral programs preparing them for guidance and personnel work as defined for Professional Membership shall be eligible to become Student Members of the Association upon application and endorsement by their faculty advisors. Student members will provide proof of student status as requested by the Membership Chair of the OCDA Board of Directors.
F. Ex Officio Members
National leaders in the field of guidance, career education, industry, business, labor, and education who express interest in working with OCDA may be considered for Ex Officio membership in OCDA by the Board.
Section 3: Procedure for Membership
A. An application for OCDA membership should be forwarded to the OCDA membership chairperson. The membership application is available online through the official OCDA website.
B. Members will be dropped from membership for non-payment of dues; the Membership Chairperson is not required to notify non-paying members prior to their removal from the organization.
C. Members may be dropped from membership for unethical behavior as defined in the Code of Ethics of ACA and NCDA or for conduct that tends to injure the Association or to affect its reputation adversely. Any charge relating to the unethical behavior or misconduct shall be presented to the Board over the signatures of two (2) members. The Board shall provide for the investigation of the charges and, if they are found to have substance, the Board shall counsel the members with a view toward possible modification of their behavior. Failing this, the Board shall determine appropriate action. The Board shall have the power to terminate membership in the Association. However, before taking such action, the Board shall notify the members of the precise nature of the charge and give them an opportunity to present evidence in their own behalf.
Section 4: Voting
All Professional, Regular, Retired, Student, and Life Members of OCDA are entitled to vote. Ex Officio holds no voting status.
Section 1: Officers & Their Terms
A. Eligibility
Professional, Regular, Retired, Student/New Professional, and Life Members are eligible to be officers.
B. Officers
Officers of the Association shall be the President, President-Elect, Immediate Past-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Member-at-Large. They shall make up the Executive Committee. All officers shall be elected at large from among Professional, Regular, Retired, and Ex Officio members of OCDA.
C. Elections
OCDA will handle the election process annually. The Board may set an annual schedule and policies for the election process.
D. Term of Office
The term of office for the OCDA Executive Board shall begin on July 1 of each year and shall continue for one (1) year unless re-elected or unless restricted according to the organization’s By-Laws.
The President shall be ineligible to serve again as President-Elect or President for a period of five (5) years following previous service in those roles.
The term of office for the Secretary and Treasurer shall begin on July 1 and continue for three (3) years unless re-elected.
The Secretary and Treasurer may not serve in their respective offices more than two (2) consecutive terms. However, they shall become eligible for a position formerly held after a one-term (1) lapse in the continuity of office.
In the event of resignation, continued absence, illness, or death of any officer other than the President, the Board shall, by majority vote, elect a successor to serve. In the event that the President-Elect is unable to assume the duties of President, the Board may, by majority vote, choose a member of the Board to serve as President until his or her successor takes office.
E. Board of Directors
The OCDA Board of Directors shall be made up of the Executive Committee (President, President-Elect, Immediate-Past President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Member-at-Large) and the Permanent Standing Committee Chairs (listed in Article IV).
F. Executive Committee
The Executive Committee (listed in Article III, Section 1: B and E) members will also be members of the NCDA and the President shall be a member of OCA for voting privileges.
Section 2: Functions of the Board of Directors
The Executive Board shall be the agency through which the policies of the Association shall be determined and shall have the following powers and functions:
A. To establish policies to govern the affairs of the Association.
B. To act on recommendations from the Standing Committees such special committees as are responsible to the Board.
C. At least one-half of the members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum throughout any meeting of the Executive Board at which official business is transacted.
Section 3: Nominations & Election of Officers
A. Election Of Officers
See Article III, Section 1, B
B. Nominating Committee
The Nominations and Elections Committee shall consist of five (5) members: the three (3) most recent Past-Presidents and two (2) members elected at the Annual Meeting. The immediate Past-President shall serve as Chairperson. If any Past-President is unable to serve, the vacancy may be filled by the Board. The Committee shall be responsible for carrying out the nominations and elections procedures in accord with these By-Laws.
C. Voting
Voting timelines and methods will be determined annually by the OCDA board.
Section 3: Duties of Officers
A. President
The President shall:
(1) Exert leadership in the achievement of the mission of OCDA.
(2) Preside at meetings of the Board, the Finance Committee, and the Annual Meeting.
(3) Appoint chairpersons of all OCDA committees and Special Interest Groups unless otherwise specified. in these By-Laws or in the motion establishing the committee or Special Interest Group.
(4) Serve ex officio on all OCDA committees and Special Interest Groups, except the Nominations and Elections Committee.
(5) Be empowered to enter the Association into contracts, grants, and other binding agreements upon approval of the Board.
(6) Represent the OCDA at all OCA board meetings; the President may send an OCDA representative in the event of their inability to attend an OCA board meeting.
B. President-Elect
The President-Elect shall:
(1) Perform the duties of the President in the absence or incapacity of the President.
(2) Serve as a member of the Board, co-chair of the Finance Committee, and advisor to the President at the Annual Meeting.
(3) Plan, Organize, and Execute the annual OCDA conference.
(4) Carry out such other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by the Board.
C. Past-President
The Past-President shall:
(1) Serve as a member of the Board and as a member of OCDA the Finance Committee.
(2) Serve as Chairperson of the Nominations and Elections Committee.
(3) Carry out such other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by the Board.
D. Secretary
The Secretary shall:
(1) Keep a record of the proceedings of the Board, Executive Committee, and the Annual Meeting.
(2) Responsible for checking incoming e-mail communications through the OCDA e-mail address and either forwarding ore responding in a timely manner.
(3) Serve as a member of the Board, the Finance Committee.
E. Treasurer
The Treasurer shall:
(1) Serve as a member of the Board, co-chair of the Finance Committee.
(2) Assist in the preparation of the budgets for OCDA, its committees, and its publications.
(3) Follow accepted procedures for handling the funds of OCDA.
(4) Recommend to the Board any needed modifications in procedures for managing the fiscal affairs of OCDA.
F. Member-at-Large
The Member-at-Large shall:
(1) Serve as a member of the Board and as a member of the Finance Committee.
(2) Serve as Secretary at board meetings in the event of the Secretary’s absence.
(3) Assist the President-Elect in coordination of the annual conference.
(4) Participate on sub-committees as determined in collaboration with the President.
(5) Assist with special projects as directed by the President.
Article IV – Committees of the Association
Committees of OCDA and their chairpersons, both standing and special committees, may be appointed by the President to promote the purpose and objectives of the Association.
Chairpersons of committees shall serve for one (1) year or until the appointment of their successors. They may be re-appointed.
The standing committees shall be: Membership, Finance, Nominations and Elections, By-Laws, Government Relations, Awards, National Career Development Month, Archives, Website, Professional Development, and Newsletter.
The defined duties of standing committees are:
A. The Membership Committee shall promote membership in OCDA and recommend procedures for processing applications.
B. The Finance Committee, composed of the President, the President-Elect, the Past President, and the Treasurer, Secretary, and Member-at-Large shall prepare the annual budget of OCDA and recommend fiscal policies for consideration by the Board. The Treasurer and President-Elect will co-chair the Finance Committee.
C. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall consist of five members: the three most recent Past-Presidents and two members elected at the Annual Meeting. The immediate Past-President shall serve as Chairperson. If any Past-President is unable to serve, the vacancy may be filled by the Board. The Committee shall be responsible for carrying out the nominations and elections procedures in accord with these By-Laws. (See also Article III, Section 2)
D. The By-Laws Committee shall have responsibilities for drafting proposals for amendments to these By-Laws and for the final wording of amendments presented by the membership at the Annual Meeting to insure their consistency with the style and substance of these By-Laws. The committee shall carry out such other functions as may be assigned to it in these By-Laws or by the Board.
E. The Government Relations Committee promotes state and national sharing of policy and practices that directly and indirectly impact career practitioners and services as well as reports on related research in the growing field of career development.
F. The Awards Committee is responsible of reviewing nominations and selecting recipients for The Bob Windle Leadership Career Award and the Outstanding Career Service Award. The chair appoints committee members on an annual basis. Past recipients are invited to join the committee as well as OCDA members for a total of 5 reviewers. Criteria for each award have been developed as well as a fair and objective mechanism to select recipients.
G. The National Career Development Month Committee is responsible for promoting November as National Career Development Month and encouraging state-wide participation in NCDA’s Poetry and Poster Contest.
H. The Archives Committee shall be responsible for maintaining a history of OCDA.
I. The Website Committee solicits, posts and maintains up-to-date content on the OCDA website. The site contains information of interest to career development professionals working, teaching and serving in Ohio.
J. The Professional Development Committee shall organize and/or promote activities which shall focus on career development and professional advancement. The committee shall administer the award of all CEUs through OCA/ACA/NCDA and shall promote OCDA member involvement with the All Ohio Counselors Conference.
K. The Newsletter Committee shall be responsible for organizing quarterly issues of the OCDA Newsletter each fiscal year and corresponding with OCA for OCDA updates for various OCA newsletters.
Article V – Meetings of the Association
Section 1: Scheduling of Meetings
A. At least one (1) meeting of the Association shall be held annually. Such a meeting shall constitute the annual membership meeting of the Association and will be held as an Association conference.
B. Additional meetings of the Association may be called either by a majority vote of the Executive Board or a majority vote of the Association.
C. In the event an annual member ship meeting cannot be conducted as an annual conference, the Association will distribute a mailing (either by post service or by email) and Association business will be completed through the collection of fifty-percent (50%) of membership responses.
Section 2: Quorum
At least fifty-percent (50%) of the members present at the annual conference of the Association shall constitute a quorum.
Section 3: Summary of Proceedings
A summary of proceedings of the Association shall be available upon request.
Section 4: Emergency Action
In an emergency and on recommendation of two-thirds vote of the Executive Board, business may be presented by mail or e-mail ballot to the members of the Association.
Article VI – Business of the Association
Section 1: Finances
The Finance Committee shall be responsible for comprehensive financial planning and control which is to include the development and implementation of proposed and existing financial obligations, and routine monitoring of all financial transactions. The Finance Committee is comprised of the OCDA Executive Board and is co-chaired by the Treasurer and President-Elect.
The fiscal year of OCDA shall be July 1st through June 30th.
Section 2: Dues
The following procedures shall be followed in establishing OCDA dues and assessments:
Annual dues for all classes of membership shall be established by the Board, in accordance with established OCDA By-Laws and Policy and Procedures.
The Board may specify the manner in which dues and assessments shall be collected.
Section 3: Contract Employees
The board may authorize the employment of such staff as may be necessary to fulfill the objectives of OCDA and set compensation for such employees.
Section 4: Reimbursement
Reimbursement Approval
An OCDA Board Member or Committee Member may be reimbursed for related expenses for products or services which benefit the organization and for which the OCDA Board has been made aware of in advance. Reimbursement requests totaling $50 or more must be approved by the Finance Committee prior to disbursement by the Treasurer.
Reimbursement request procedures will be established by the Finance Committee and approved by the OCDA Board of Directors.
A. Travel Expenses
Members of the Executive Board may be reimbursed for their travel expenses to and from regular and special meetings as called by the President. Members of the Executive Board requesting travel reimbursement must show service to the Association which includes attendance to two or more Executive Board meetings during the year as called by the President.
B. Hotel Room Expenses
Members of the Executive Board may be reimbursed for fifty-percent (50%) of their hotel room expenses for the evening of the scheduled Executive Board meeting at the OCDA annual conference as called by the President. Members of the Executive Board requesting hotel room reimbursement must show service to the Association which includes attendance to two (2) or more Executive Board meetings during the year as called by the President.
Section 5: Parliamentary Rules
The parliamentary order for meetings of OCDA shall be in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order, (revised).
Article VII – Sanction and Removal from Office
Any individual noted in Article III, Section 3 and Article V, a and b, may be sanctioned or removed from office in accordance with procedures as prescribed by official policy of the Association.
Section 1: Policy for Removal from Office
Any member of the Board of Directors including officers, standing and special committee chairs and committee members may be sanctioned by a majority vote or removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors at any regular meeting of the Board at which a quorum is present for engaging in conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Association or for repeated failure to perform the duties and responsibilities of a Board Member.
Article VIII – Amendment of the By-Laws
The OCDA By-Laws will be reviewed bi-annually; the By-Laws may be reviewed more frequently if necessary and based on the recommendation of the OCDA Board.
These By-Laws may be amended by a majority of votes of those voting by the process determined by the current OCDA Board of Directors providing the members have been notified of the proposed change or changes at least 30 days in advance of the required deadline for ballot return subject to the approval the NCDA.
Article IX – Representation at the NCDA Delegate Assembly
The delegate or delegates to the NCDA Delegate Assembly, as provided for by the NCDA, shall be first, a member of the Executive Committee or a member designated by that Committee. Delegates must also be voting members of NCDA.
Ohio Career Development Association
OCDA opposes discrimination against any individual on the basis or race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, mental/physical disability, creed, or any other characteristics not specifically relevant to job performance.